Hi, I've been playing New Vegas on Steam for the last month and it has been fun, but starting a couple days ago the game crashes.

To be specific, It reaches the second screen ("Bethesda Softworks" overlaying a wasteland background), then crashes.

Using Steam to validate the files, it said that 1 file was corrupted and needed to be redownloaded, so I do that. The problem persists, Steam validation keeps claiming there is one file that is messed up even though it supposedly redownloaded it.

Tried reinstalling the game altogether, still the game crashes.

Error Message is below, complains about a msmpeg2adec.dll:


Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: FalloutNV.exe
Application Version: 1.2.0.314
Application Timestamp: 4cfdf842
Fault Module Name: msmpeg2adec.dll
Fault Module Version: 6.1.7140.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 4a5bdaa8
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 000652e9
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

A simple google search says that msmpeg2adec.dll is a mpeg video driver. Which basically allows you to play movies with mpeg. Maybe you installed a video codec pac that's messing up your system. I would remove any that you may have installed. If that doesn't work follow this.

1) Open Steam
2) Right click on Fallout: New Vegas
3) Hit Properties
4) Click the "Local Files" tab
5) Click on "Verify Integrity of Game Cache"

If that doesn't work, delete your ini files and repeat steps 1-5

Did you install any new codecs or any type of media player app recently? Try googling something like http://www.google.com/search?q=%2B%22Fault+Module+Name:+msmpeg2adec.dll%22+appcrash&hl=en for suggestions.